Track-rail.



No. 856,592. PATENTED JUNE 11, 1907. H. LAUGHLIN, JR. & 1). SGHUYLER.

TRACK RAIL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. 1904.

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UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HOMER LAUGIILIN, JR, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND DANIEL SCI-IUYLER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS TO THE PERFECT SLIDING DOOR COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A- CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

TRACK-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed June 18, 1904. Serial No. 213,121.

To aZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HOMER LAUGHLIN, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, and DANIEL SGHUY- LER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fail-field and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Track-Rai ls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rails for supporting rollers, and more particularly pertains to rails for the trolleys or hangers of edgewise moving closers more particularly known as sliding doors and windows, but we do not wish to limit the invention to any particular use.

Some of the objects of this invention may be stated as follows:

One object is to provide a great improvement in rails for edgewise moving doors by producing a rail which will largely avoid setting up any vibration in the door or the parts appurtenant thereto and which will afford the best antifriction bearing for the trolley or hanger rollers.

We have discovered that the usual lac 'quered, japamied or otherwise varnished rail tends to produce a vibration and a friction which it is desirable to avoid and an object of our invention is to avoid the same.

Other objects of this invention may be further enumerated as follows: (2) To provide a stamped sheet-metal rail of superior rigidity. (3) To provide a planished sheetmetal rail which can be produced by a continuous operation. (4) To provide a sheetmetal rail which can be produced in a great length by a continuous operation. (5) To produce rails which more perfectly nest with each other thereby to greatly economize space for storage and transportation. (6) To provide a suspension rail of maximum strength and minimum weight and size or bulk. (7) To provide a sheet metal suspension rail for sliding doors, having a minimum width and requisite vertical and lateral rigidity. (8) To provide requisite means for supporting a sl ding door carriage or trolley having a minimum deflection of parts from the line of support.

Our newly invented rail is an open bottom sheet metal track-rail constructed with a crown and with two diver ing side walls having free edges, and united by the crown of the rail and extending downward therefrom, each, throughout its width, diverging acutely from the other and from the vertical of the rail from the crown thereof to the free edge of saio wall. Said free edge is preferably, but not invariably, reinforced. The reinforcement may be accomplished by the oblique bending of the sheet 01' by a bead, which will not materially add to the width of the face of the rail.

This newly invented rail is to be distinguished from any flanged l\ shaped track rails heretofore proposed for the reason that the flanges heretofore present in such rails dispose the metal at a disadvantage and it is an object of this invention that the metal shall be disposed in such a manner that maximum rigidity be secured with minimum weight and size or rail.

In this invention the walls 01 the rail diverge acutely, throughout, from the crown to the r edges and therefore the depth of the rail is invariably greater than its width.

By the term vertical of the rail we mean that axial plane of the rail which bisects the angle between the walls of the rail. By so constructing the rail it becomes possible to satisfactorily support sliding doors and the like with suspension rails of much greater length and less weight and size than heretofore advisable, and the necessity of intermediate supports for the rail is in some instances partly, and in others wholly, done away with.

To increase the rigidity against lateral strain and yet avoid materially adding to the weight, the free edges of the walls are preferably reinforced. This may be done by heading the edge as suggested in one of the accompanying views, but is preferably accomplished by a lateral deflection of the free edges of the walls and such deflection is preferably outward so as to slightly broaden the base of the rail.

In case our rail is constructed without the reinforced edges, somewhat heavier sheet metal will be required to afford a rail of a determined rigidity which can be secured with lighter sheet metal by reinforcing the free edges of the walls.

The accompanying invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of arailembodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing an exaggeration of the arched rail. Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing in dotted lines, a roller resting on the rail. Fig. 4 is an end view of a number of rails nested together. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental section of a track rail embodying our invention. This view illustrates drawings illustrate the in enlarged section the top portion of eachof the rails shown inthe other views for the purpose of showing the coating of ductile metal present in all the rails but impossible to be shown clearly in the other views because of the smallness of such other views.

This invention comprises a rail 1, constructed 'of hard tough sheet metal, preferably steel and having two walls 2, 3, extending throughout at an acute angle with the vertical a of the rail and each terminating in a free edge. By this construction the rail is adapted to bear a comparatively great load when the strain is applied on the crown 4 of the rail and the same is supported by the edge portions 5, 6, thereof. Said edges are preferably each bent obtusely as shown, thus to give rigidity against lateral flexure.

' The crown 4 is formed in an abrupt bend and the outer face 7, thereof is planished so that superior smoothness is provided for. The walls slope upward from the obtusely bent or flared edges to the abrupt bend at a sharp angle so that the rail is made rigid to withstand the vertical and lateral strains that may come upon the rail. The flaring form of the free edges gives great rigidity against lateral flexure. Each of the walls is shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing as being obtusely bent. This is the form at present preferred but it is to be understood that if one wall and not the other is so bent a good result is secured and we do not wish to limit our invention to the exact construction shown.

This form of rail may be readily constructed by dies, not shown, and when completed the bearing surfaces or the outer face will be planished and therefore tough and smooth affording a superior track for the roller.

It is desirable that the rail be slightly arched longitudinally so as to bear a deterto end of the rail.

mined strain without deflection at the middle below a horizontal line drawn from end and providing a planished crown 4, a superior antifriction track is provided-for grooved rollersor'wheels, the walls of the grooves of which diverge at a more obtuse angle than the bearing faces of the crown so that each roller will contact at two points only at any one time.

We propose to dispense with the necessity Such arching may be of oiling the rail, and for this purpose we pre fer to electroplate the planished faces 7 with a cover of copper or other soft ductile metal 8 to give a final finish to the bearing faces.

It is evident that oilmay be applie'd'to the finished surface if desired, but it is desirable to use only oils of good smooth body.

Desirably the wallsof the railare ofe'qual width terminating in a plane which is at right angles to the vertical of the rail. In Fig. 3 the dotted line 12' indicates a support for the rail base formed by the edges-of its walls. g

The rail shown is adapted to be manufactured in any required length by means 'ofdies for swaging the rail out by a continuous process.

In practical use the rail'may he supported. by brackets (not shown) inserted or wedged in between the walls.

In Fig. 4; three forms of rail are shown. The form shown at 11' is constructed'without reinforced portions at the edges andthe form shown at 12'is constructed with head reinforcement.

What we claim anddesire to secure by Iietters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An open bottom sheet metal tr'ack rail constructed with a crown and with sidewalls having lower free edges and extending downward from the crown, each wall, throughout its width from crown to free edge, diverging acutely from the other wall and from the vertical of the rail to its free edge.

2. A longitudinally arched, open bottom sheet metal track-rail constructed with a constructed with a crown and with side wallshaving lower free edges and extending down- In testimony whereof We have signed this ward from the crown, each Wall, throughout specification in the presence of subscribing its Width from crown to free edge, diverging Witnesses at Bridgeport, Connecticut, this acutely from the other Wall and from the ver 17th. day of June 1904.

5 tical of the rail to its other edge; said free HOMER LAUGl-ILIN, JR.

} edges being obtusely bent, substantially as DANIEL SOHUYLER.

and for the purpose set forth and described. WVitnesses:

4:. A sheet metal rail having a planished JAMES R. TOWNSEND, bearing surface coated with a soft ductile ELBERT O. HULL, to metal. FREDERICK EGGE. 

